AFTER a trial at 10 schools showed controlling use of digital devices improved student concentration and increased parental satisfaction, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is gearing up to expand the clampdown at all its schools from the next academic year, PPTVHD36 said today (Mar. 13).
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in introducing the “Phone Off, Learning On: Focus on Learning, Leave Mobile Phones with Teachers” project at Wat Suttharam Secondary School in Khlong San district that some other countries had already prohibited or controlled use of digital devices in schools because they reduced interaction with peers, decreased interest in learning, increased time spent in virtual world and raised obesity rates due to lack of exercise.
For subjects requiring the use of digital devices, teachers will be responsible for granting permission to use them. In case of emergencies, there will be a LINE account or phone number that parents can contact if necessary.
This project has three key principles as follows:
– Purposeful Learning: Encouraging the use of digital devices as “learning tools” under the supervision of teachers during appropriate class time, instead of using them for aimless entertainment;
– Well-being and Social Development: Establishing digital-free zones during certain times, such as lunch break or in common areas, to encourage students to socialise, exercise, and rest their eyes;
– Cybersecurity: Creating a monitoring system to prevent online bullying and access to inappropriate content in educational institutions.
In addition, the UNESCO GEM report highlights important issues related to use of mobile phones and electronic devices by children as follows:
– In 2024, new words such as “doomscrolling” and “brain-rot” appeared in the Oxford Dictionary, reflecting the problem of excessive social media use from AI algorithms;
– The UNESCO GEM 2023 report indicated that technology can aid learning. Smartphones are only useful in certain contexts and when used appropriately, but excessive use can negatively impact learning;
– Smartphones in the classroom can disrupt learning;
– Research in 14 countries, from early childhood to higher education, found that mobile phones distract students from their studies;
– Simply having a phone nearby and receiving notifications can distract students from their work;
– It can take up to 20 minutes for students to regain focus after being distracted by a phone;
– Removing smartphones from schools in Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom has been found to improve academic outcomes, especially among students with low academic performance.
This measure will include guidelines for collecting devices in the morning, designating specific times for use, limiting communication to essential tasks, and focusing on behaviour modification rather than a simple ban.
Bangkok has piloted these measures in 10 schools with the initiative emphasising collaboration between schools, teachers, and parents.
Initial results showed increased parental satisfaction, improved student attentiveness, reduced homework supervision burden, better concentration and academic performance, and increased responsibility for phone care.
Currently, BMA is conducting surveys of its schools to get feedback in order to refine the measure for each school before officially implementing it in the next semester.
CAPTION:
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announcing BMA’s “Phone Off, Learning On: Focus on Learning, Leave Mobile Phones with Teachers” project, above, and a file photo of him, Front Page. Above photo – PPTVHD36, Front Page – Thai Rath
Insert – A boy playing a mobile phone game. Photo – Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pixabay
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